The Golden Chariot
Encyclopedia
The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the India
n states of Karnataka
and Goa
. It is named after the Stone Chariot in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi
. The 19 coaches on the train are coloured purple and gold, and sport the logo of a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and a body of a lion. The Golden Chariot operates weekly and had its maiden commercial run on March 10, 2008.
The train, along with the Deccan Odyssey
, is designed on the lines of the more popular Palace on Wheels
with accommodations, spa treatments and dining. The train is operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
and marketed by The Luxury Trains, whereas The Maple Group handles the hospitality services on the train.
, Kabini, Mysore, Hassan, Hospet
, Badami
and Goa
, before returning to Bangalore. The tourist attractions visited include the Nagarhole National Park
, Mysore Palace
, Srirangapatna forts
, Hoysaleswara Temple
, Gomateshwara and the Badami Cave Temples. Passengers have the option to start their trips from either Bangalore or Goa.
Starting October, 2009, the Golden Chariot will also offer an extended two week tour that will cover Coimbatore
, Madurai
, Kanyakumari
, Trivandrum, and Kochi during the second week.
, Ganga
, Chalukya, Bahamani, Adil Shahi
, Sangama
, Satavahana
, Yadukula and Vijayanagar
. It also has two restaurants, a lounge bar, and conference, gym and spa facilities. It is the only train in India to have onboard Wi-Fi
connectivity, and satellite antennae providing live television service in the cabins.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n states of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. It is named after the Stone Chariot in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi
Hampi
Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other...
. The 19 coaches on the train are coloured purple and gold, and sport the logo of a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and a body of a lion. The Golden Chariot operates weekly and had its maiden commercial run on March 10, 2008.
The train, along with the Deccan Odyssey
Deccan Odyssey
The Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route of the Indian Railways...
, is designed on the lines of the more popular Palace on Wheels
Palace on Wheels
The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan, and has been highly popular since its launch....
with accommodations, spa treatments and dining. The train is operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation or KSTDC is an entity was set up by government of Karnataka state in India to promote tourism within the state....
and marketed by The Luxury Trains, whereas The Maple Group handles the hospitality services on the train.
Route
The train offers a 7-day/8-night tour of BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Kabini, Mysore, Hassan, Hospet
Hospet
Hospet , is a city in Bellary District in northern Karnataka, India. It is on the Tungabhadra River, 12 km from the World Heritage site consisting of the ruins of the medieval city of Vijayanagara, former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire....
, Badami
Badami
Badami , formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples...
and Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, before returning to Bangalore. The tourist attractions visited include the Nagarhole National Park
Nagarhole National Park
Nagarhole National Park , also known as "Rajiv Gandhi National Park", is located from Mysore in Karnataka in South India. It is spread between Kodagu district and Mysore district. Located to the north-west of Bandipur National Park, Kabini reservoir separates the two. The park has rich forest...
, Mysore Palace
Mysore Palace
The Palace of Mysore is a palace situated in the city of Mysore in southern India. It is the official residence of the Wodeyars - the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, and also houses two durbar halls ....
, Srirangapatna forts
Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
, Hoysaleswara Temple
Hoysaleswara temple
Hoysaleswara temple is a temple dedicated to Hindu God Shiva. It was built in Halebidu during the Hoysala Empire rule in the 12th century by King Vishnuvardhana. The construction was completed in 1121 CE. During the early 14th century, Halebidu was sacked and looted by Muslim invaders from...
, Gomateshwara and the Badami Cave Temples. Passengers have the option to start their trips from either Bangalore or Goa.
Starting October, 2009, the Golden Chariot will also offer an extended two week tour that will cover Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
, Trivandrum, and Kochi during the second week.
Facilities
The Golden Chariot offers accommodation in 44 cabins in 11 coaches that are named after dynasties that ruled the region: Kadamba, Hoysala, RashtrakutaRashtrakuta
The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
, Ganga
Ganga Dynasty
Ganga Dynasty is a name used for two unrelated dynasties who ruled parts of India:* The Western Ganga Dynasty, a kingdom in southern India, based in southern Karnataka, from the 3rd to the 10th centuries...
, Chalukya, Bahamani, Adil Shahi
Adil Shahi
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi dynasty ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur in the Western area of the Deccan region of Southern India from 1490 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate , before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518...
, Sangama
Sangama Dynasty
The Sangama Dynasty was the first dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. Founded by the brothers, Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, they were sons of Bhavana Sangama...
, Satavahana
Satavahana
The Sātavāhana Empire or Andhra Empire, was a royal Indian dynasty based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar and Prathisthan in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward...
, Yadukula and Vijayanagar
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
. It also has two restaurants, a lounge bar, and conference, gym and spa facilities. It is the only train in India to have onboard Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
connectivity, and satellite antennae providing live television service in the cabins.
Passengers
The Golden chariot can accommodate 88 passengers, and operated at around 35% occupancy. Most of the tourists on the train are from US, UK, Japan, France and Germany.Other tourism trains
- Palace on WheelsPalace on WheelsThe Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan, and has been highly popular since its launch....
- Maharaja ExpressMaharaja ExpressThe Maharajas' Express is a luxury train operated on the Indian Railways from early 2010. It is a joint venture between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the travel agency Cox and Kings India Ltd....
- Deccan OdysseyDeccan OdysseyThe Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route of the Indian Railways...
- Royal Rajasthan on WheelsRoyal Rajasthan on WheelsThe Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan...
- Fairy QueenFairy Queen (locomotive)The Fairy Queen, built in 1855, is the world's oldest steam locomotive in regular operation today, plying between New Delhi to Alwar in India. The locomotive was certified by the Guinness Book of Records to be the oldest operational locomotive after the Rajasthan government invoked it in 2004 to...